Filter unit



S. G. ORBAN Sept. 4, 1951 FILTER UNIT Filed Sept. 27, 1948 INVENTOR. gTEPHE/V ORB/4N Patented Sept. 4, 1951 FILTER UNIT Stephen G. Orban,Bloomfield, N. J., assignor to Bendix Aviation Cor poration, Teterboro,N. J.,

acorporation of Delaware ,Applicationseptember 2'7, 1948, Serial No.51,395

11 Claims. '1

The present invention relate to a unit for filtering and removing dirt,dust and tobacco tar and the like from a fluid, such as air, andparticularly to means of this ,charactenadapted as partofavalve. Among'the objects of the invention are to protect valves and thelike incertain service, as in'aircraft, against deleterious substances, such asdust, dirt and 'thecontents of tobacco smoke, such as tar, and to obtainthe "result by novel efiective means.

Other objects are-to provide such meansin the form of a unit of almostnegligible Weight, few and simple parts of great ease of "assembly anddisassembly, and permanent position.

Another object is to provide a filter and to bacco tar remover which,'wh'enused with a light weight valve, originallyintended for smallplanes only, enables it to be effectively employed on airliners, forinstance, Where the duty is much heavier. a

The above and other objects and features of the invention will appearmore iullyhereinafter from a consideration of the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawingwhereintwd-ernbodiments of the invention are illustrated by wayof-example.

i In thedrawing:

Figure 1 is a side view on an enlarged scale generally in 'section of asuction valveand filter unit combinationoftheinvention, V

Figure 2 is amend-elevation of thedevice of Figure 1, view from-the'left, V

Figure 3 is a view taken substantially along the line 3--3 -of-Figure 1,aspring of Figure 1 being omitted, and 1 Figure .4 is a vlewsimilartoFigure 1 of the invention in modified form.

Referring to thedrawing:

The device of Figures 1, 2 and 3 embodies a suction regulating valve lll adapted for inclusion in a fluidcircuit and comprising an outletopening I2 and an inlet opening .l4, and-embodying a tubular member 16:comprising a body portion 18 forming an openin 12.. The body portion ishas a reduced-diameter tubular extension 20 of .a smaller diameterthan-.the body portion 18 andcoaxial with thewopening l2 Theextension 20,has a closed end and is arranged soas to provide a valve guide having.side-wall port means 22 communicating with :a bore 26 vofuthetubular-member l6. a

A sleeve valve 28, longitudinally movable on the tubular extension 2Q,-wcooperates with the port means 22 control ,fi uid flow through the portmeans 22 'from the inlet I4 to the outlet l2. The sleeve 28 is biasedtoward open position, or to the right as shown in Figures 1 and 4, as bya spring 30. The sleeve 28 carries a piston 32.

Enclosing the above-designated element is a tubular housing 34 in whichis provided the inlet opening I 4. The housing 34 telescopicallysurrounds the body I8 and is connected thereto, as by a pin 36. Housing34 forms a cylinder 38 for the piston 32 and includes a side-wallaperture or venting means disposed in the housing 34 so as to open intocylinder 38 between the piston 32 and the body portion I 8.

The venting means 40, as shown, opens 'from the cylinder 38 into aportion 42 of the housing 34'having a circular outer cross-sectiondisposed between lateral ridges 44 of polygonal perimetral contour asshown in Figure 3, defining a, tubular filtered-fluid channel 46 incommunication with the aperture means 40. The housing 34 has aseal-receiving circular-section outer-surface zone between each of theridges 44 and an adjacent perimeter housing end section 50 and 5| oflike polygonal contour, which in this case is'hexagonal.

A .pair of ring-like seals 52 and 53, of elastic rubber or the like,each having a rim section 54 of channel section facing each other, arespaced apart and mounted on the housing 34. Each seal 52 and 53ispremoldedto have inner perimetral portions 56 and 58 conform to itssaid circular-section seal-receiving surface zone 48 and to theadjacentpolygonal end section .50 and. 5| respectively. The seals are.held in removable binding relation to the portions 56 and 58, and

a cylindrical filter element .60 removably mounted telescopicallyfitslthehousing between, and has its ends positionedin the seal channels54 and is yieldably removably clamped by, and between the seal channelsides.

In assembly, the filterelementlfifl and the rings 52 and -53 are simplyslipped over the ends of the housing 34 to the positions shown in Figure1, with the ends of the element .60 in the ring channel held laterallythereby, and the polygonal portions 58 of the seals fitting thecorresponding contours of the ends 50 and 5|. In this position,aircannot be drawn into the valve except through pores or interstices ofthe filter 50 which may be of a type well known in the art, made up of apaper :ribbon, uniformly wrinkled crosswise, wound in a close packededgewise helix andlmpregnated with a suitable phenolic condensation,product which may be polymerized by electric induction heating. OtherasccAce suitable materials, such as felt and cellulose fiber, may beemployed in the filter.

In the structure as shown, the filter element 60, which longitudinallybridges the aperture means 40, is supported intermediate its ends, andspaced from the housing 34, by the hexagonal ridges 44 which touch theinner side of the cylindrical filter 60 only at intersections 62 ofpolygon sides 64, as shown in Figure 3, so as to provide spaces 65between the latter sides and the inner surface 68 of the filter wherebythe fluid may fiow past the ridges 44 along the housing.

When the filter becomes unduly loaded with trapped dust, tobacco tars,nicotine or other substance, it may be cleared in a few minutes bydismounting the valve, removing the filter, reversing the direction offiow therethrough, or by other simple means, and reassembling thefilter, the seals and the housing and reinstalling the valve.

Thefilter may be reinforced by filter paper between the filter and thehousing, and'the device may be modified as indicated in Figure 4. I

' In Figure 4, the device maybe considered as constructed substantiallyfrom the structure above set forth, as by cutting a helical groove alongthe outer'surface of the housing 34, right through the ridges 44,between points within the seals 52.

' It is of note that, in this case, the openings 40 may not liediametrically opposite one another,

but are placed between convolutions of the helical groove 10.

A cord or strand [2 of loose packed cotton-like material suitablytreated, as, is well known in the art, so as to have a high affinity andability for absorbing tobacco smoke tars and nicotine, is wound in thegroove 10, substantially to bridge the channel 45 radially, to tend tocause air entering throughthe filter 60 to fiow around the helical space14, in opposite directions from opposite ends of the space, toward oneor another of the openings 40. The small amount of air passing throughthe filter 60 directly opposite the openings 40 may not travel along thespace 14 for any substantial distancabut inthe aggregate, the air willfiow, in the space 14 to the openings 40. In the space 14, the tar-ladenair will contact the cord 72 to-deposit tar on the cord and prevent itfrom reaching and clogging the working valve partsl o In the operationof the sleeve valve 28 which may be of the type. disclosed in thecopending application SerialNo. 793,968 filed December 26, 1947,.byWalter D. Teague, Jr., it will be seen that the application of suctionto the outlet opening 12 will apply a negative pressure to one side ofthe piston 32 while a positive atmospheric or cabin pressure will beapplied to the opposite side of the piston 32 through the port 40 inopposition to the biasing force of the spring 30. The outlet opening 12may be connected to a variable source of suction such as a pump drivenby the aircraft engine, while the inlet opening I4 may be connected by asuitable conduit to an air driven instrument such as a rate of turngyro, a directional gyro' or an artificial horizon indicator mounted ina supercharged aircraft cabin and having an air intake port open tocabin pressure, as described and shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,402,500granted June 18, 1946, to Donald M. Lawrence and assigned to BendixAviation Corporation. The inlet opening I4 thus leads through the airdriven instrument'from the atmosphere or cabinpressure. Thelatter-atmospheric or cabin pressure acts upon piston 32 through theport 40.

The force thus acting on the piston 32 will tend to adjust the sleevevalve 28 relative to the port 22 so as to maintain a predetermineddifferential between the atmospheric or cabin pressure and the suctionornegative pressure at the inlet opening 14; The provision of I thefilter G0 prevents dust, dirt and tobacco tar encountered particularlyin the atmosphere of the cabins of commercial air liners frominterfering with the operation of the sleeve valve. Without theprovision of the novel filter arrangement the sleeve valve 28 may becomestuck or operated badly after only 700, hours operation due to dust,dirt and tobacco tar which may be readily eliminated by the novel filter60 arranged so as to surround the opening 40.

Although only two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, various changesin the form and relative arrangements of theparts maybe made to suit require-' ments.

What is claimed'is:

l. The combination with a suction valve having inlet and outlet openingsand a tubular member between, and 'including'a body forming one of saidopenings and having a reduced-diameter tubular extension coaxial withsaid one opening, said tubular extension having a bore and forming aguide having side-wall port means opening into said bore and a partitionacross the extension bore, a sleeve valve axially slidable on the guidecontrolling fiuid flow throughJthe port means and biased toward openposition, and a piston on the sleeve, of a, tubular housing hav-; ingthe other of said openings and telescopically fitting and connected tothe body and forming a-cylinder for the piston, venting means in saidhousing, a cylindrical filter about said housing defining an unimpededannular chamber between the filter andthe housing, a plurality of ridgeson said housingdefining segmental passages with said filter, saidventing means openingfrorn one of said passages into the cylinderbetween the piston and the bo the housing having a seal-receivingcircular-section outersurface zone between the opposite side of eachofsaid ridgesand an adjacent perimetral hous-. ing end section of likepolygonal contour, a pair of ring-like'seals of elastic rubberor thelike each having channel rimsection having its open. side facingtheothen-each of saidseals being premolded to have inner perimetralportions conform to its said seal-receiving surface zone and to theadjacent polygonal end section, respectively, inremovablebinding'relation thereto, said venting means beingbetweenconvolutions of helical outer surface groove means of saidhousing, ;said filter removably telescopically fit-. ting thehousing'between and havingits ends in the seal channels yieldablyremovably clamped by and between the seal channel sides,- and a helicalbody in said groove means of 'material adapted to absorb tobacco smoketars.-

2. The combination with a suction valve having inlet and outlet openingsand a tubular mem-= ber' between, andin'cluding a body forming one ofsaid openings and having a reduced-diameter tubular extensioncoaxialwithsaid one opening, said tubular extension havinga bore andforming a guide having side-wall port means opening intosaid bore and apartition across the extension bore, a sleeve valve axially slidable ontliel'guide controlling fluid new throughzthe valve and port means andbiased toward open position, and a piston :on the sleeve, of a tubularhousing having the other of said openings and telescopically fitting andconnected to the body and forming a cylinder for the piston, ventingmeans in said housing, a cylindrical filter about said housing definingan annular chamber between the filter and said housing, a plurality ofridges on said housing defining segmental passageswith said filter, saidventing means opening from one of saidpassages into the cylinder betweenthe piston and the body, the housing having a seal-receivingcircular-section outersurface zone between the opposite side of each ofsaid ridges and an adjacent perimetral housing 'end section of likepolygonal contour, a pair of ring-like seals of elastic rubber or thelike having channel rim section having its open side facing the other,each of said seals being premolded to have inner perimetral portionsconform to its said seal-receiving surface zone and to the adjacentpolygonal end section, respectively, in removable binding relationthereto, said filter removably telescopically fitting the housingbetween and having its ends in the seal channels yieldably removablyclamped by and between the seal channel side.

3. In a suction regulating unit, the combination of a tubular housinghaving inlet and outlet ends and a circular section within said housingdefining a chamber therewith, a plurality of ridges dividing saidchamber and forming axis parallel segmental channels between saiddivisions, at least one vent passage communicating said through passagewith said chamber, the housing having a circular outer seal-receivingsurface zone between the opposite side of each of said ridges and a nextadjacent housing end section of like contour, a pair of ring-like sealsof elastic rubber or the like each having the axial section of its rimof channel section having the open channel side facing the correspondingside of the other and each premolded to have its inner perimeter conformto its said seal-receiving surface zone and to the adjacent polygonalend section in removable binding relation thereto, and a cylindricalfilter removably telescopically fitting the housing between and havingits ends in the seal channels yieldably clamped by and be tween the sealchannel sides.

4. The combination of a tubular housing adapted for inclusion in a fluidcircuit and closed to the exterior of the circuit, a plurality of ventholes through a length of the housing to a filtered-fluid channel aroundthe housing, a plurality of ridges on said housing forming segmentalpassages, the housing having an outer seal-receiving zone between theopposite side of each ridge and a next adjacent housing end section, apair of elastic eals surrounding the housing each having the axialsection of its rim of channel section having the open channel sidefacing the corresponding side of the other and its inner perimeterconforming to its adjacent housing receiving zone and end section inremovable binding relation thereto, and a tubular filter removablytelescopically fitting the housing between and having its ends in theseal channels yieldably clamped by and between the seal channel sides,said ridges supporting the filter and providing for the flow of fluidpast the ridges along the housing in communication with said ventingholes.-

5. The combination :of a tubular housing" adapted for inclusion in aiiuid circuit and closed to the exterior of the circuit, a plurality ofvent holes through a length of the housing to a fluid channel around thehousing, a tubular filter about the housing, a plurality of ridges onsaid housing forming segmental passages with said filter, the housinghaving an outer seal-receiving zone between the opposite side of eachridge and a next adjacent housing end section, a pair of elastic sealssurrounding the housing each having the axial section of its rim ofchannel section having the open channel side facing the correspondingside of the other and its innerperimeters conforming to it adjacenthousing receiving zone and end, section in removable binding relationthereto, said filter removably telescopically fitting the housingbetween and having its ends in the seal channels yieldably clamped byand between the seal channel sides.

6. The combination of a tubular housing adapted for inclusion in a fluidcircuit and closed to the exterior of the circuit a vent hole through alength of the housing to a fluid channel around the housing, a pluralityof ridges on said housing, the housing having an outer seal-receivingzone between the opposite side of each ridge and a next adjacent housingend section, a pair of elastic seals surrounding the housing inremovable binding relation thereto, and a tubular filter removablytelescopically fitting the housing and disposed therefrom to form anannular channel between the housing and itself, and said tubular filterheld in position and sealed at its ends by said elastic seals.

7. The combination of a housing adapted for inclusion in a fluid circuitand having aperture mean through a side of the housing in communicationwith a fluid channel at the outer side of the housing, seal means heldto the housing, a filter disposed over and defining the channel and heldin position and sealed relative to the housing by said seal means, and anicotine absorbing material in said channel to absorb tobacco smoketars.

8. In a valve, the combination of a housing having an inlet, an outletand a vent, valve mean within said housing responsive to exterior airpressure applied through the vent, and means for filtering and removingtobacco-smoke tar from air drawn into the vent including a tubularelement within which said housing is positioned.

9. The combination of a housing adapted for inclusion in a fluid circuitand having aperture mean through a side of the housing in communicationwith a fluid channel at the outer side of the housing, elastic sealmeans bindingly self held to the housing, a filter removably disposedover the housing so as to define the channel and bindingly held inposition and sealed relative to the housing by said elastic seal means,and a strand of nicotine absorbing material wound helically about thehousing and within said channel to absorb tobacco smoke tars.

10. The combination of a housing adapted for inclusion in a fluidcircuit and having aperture means through a side of the housing incommunication with a fluid channel at the outer side of the housing,sealing means, a filter disposed over said housing so as to define thechannel and held in position and sealed relative to the housing by saidsealing means, and a nicotine absorbing material to absorb tobacco smokechannel about said housing communicating with said aperture means.

11. The combination of a housing adapted for inclusion in a fluidcircuit, filter means disposed about said housing, mounting means forsaid filter means affixed about the exterior of said housing andconstructed and arranged to sealingly engage the opposed ends of saidfilter 1 means, said filter means and mounting means defining with theexterior surface of said housing a channel surrounding said housing,said housing having an aperture in the side wall thereof providingcommunication between the 15 interior of said housing and said channel,and tobacco smoke tar absorbing means disposed within said channel andsubstantially interposed between' said filter and the aperture in theide wall of said housing. V V 1 1 V STEPHEN G. ORBAN.

5 REF RENCES CITED M The following references are of record in thefileof this patent:

' V UNITED STATES PATENTS 0 Number H Name 7 V V n h 619,569 'Hewe1 Feb.14, 18Q 9 2,194,037 Thuma Mar. 19, 1940 2,448,157 Schneider Aug. 31,1948 ---FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain Jan. 24 1921'7 Date

